Nigerian soldiers at Zabarmari village after ta Boko Haram attack in which dozens were killed by suicide bombers

The United Nations says it will set up “ICT-based Early Warning Systems’’ in Borno state and other states in the North East to ensure rapid response to activities of Boko Haram.

Dr Daouda Toure, the UN Resident Co-ordinator, said this in Gombe on Wednesday, at the ongoing screening of Boko Haram victims for one-year skills acquisition programme.

He said the project would also enable victims of Boko Haram to access help promptly.

Toure said the ICT-based system, when installed, would allow people to send real-time incidents which pose threats to the society to a central control room through imaging, SMS and e-mail.

The UN official said the information would then be retrieved, analysed and responded to within minutes.

“Part of the programmes we (UNDP) are planning for Borno and the North East is to have the ICT-based Early Warning System.

“ICT early warning system is a system that is ICT-based like it is called.

“You can send SMS to that system, you can send video imaging to that system, you can take your photograph and send to that system and it will be there. So, people will be able to see and analyse.

“We had a meeting with the Borno Governor about two weeks ago and we told him about this and he was very much interested. We are going to meet with him further to see the mechanism to set up this.

“We can set it up but the real operation comes from the government because they control the security agencies, they control the staff.

“They (government) will have to provide the space where you install computers and people will work 24 hours because in managing crisis, people have to stay alert. You (staff) have to be there morning, afternoon, evening to ensure that if there is anybody crying for help somewhere, he will be able to get that help.”

Toure, represented by Matthew Alao, UNDP’s Conflict Prevention and Peace Building Analyst, said to win the war against insurgents, people must be actively involved in the provision of intelligence.

He said people must be given the opportunity to report suspected activities anonymously, in order to remove the fear of being identified.

The UN official noted the concerns about false alerts, but pointed out that cases of false alerts were negligible while genuine ones were usually much more.

No fewer than 2,000 Boko Haram victims will be trained in various vocational skills during periods ranging from six months to one year.

The skills include tailoring, computer, catering and decoration, knitting, shoe-making/leather work, hairdressing, GSM repairs, plumbing, welding and fabrication, aluminium, agriculture, and carpentry and woodwork, among others.

Between 500 and 700 victims will be trained in the first phase of the programme scheduled to commence